| "Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" -Oscar Wilde |
 |
"The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall be watered also himself." -- Proverbs 11:25 |
"...you have a choice: be a fighting liberal or sit quietly. I know what I am, what are you?" -- Steve Gilliard, 1964 - 2007
"For straight up monster-stomping goodness, nothing makes smoke shoot out my ears like Brilliant@Breakfast" -- Tata
"...the best bleacher bum since Pete Axthelm" -- Randy K.
"I came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum." -- "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (1954-2015), They Live
"For straight up monster-stomping goodness, nothing makes smoke shoot out my ears like Brilliant@Breakfast" -- Tata
"...the best bleacher bum since Pete Axthelm" -- Randy K.
"I came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum." -- "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (1954-2015), They Live
Brilliant Recent Posts
There's nothing new under the sunAu revoir, y'all....
So Long and Thanks for All the Gefilte Fish
Like White on Rice
Why Did Hillary Clinton Hire a Monsanto Lobbyist t...
Virtual Book Sale
The Man Who Poisoned America
We are privileged to be alive today
The Prodigal Blogger Stops By
Good Times at Pottersville, 3/14/15
Brilliant at Searching
Brilliant Stuff to Buy
What's on my mind:
Brilliant Archives
Brilliant at Begging
Like what you read?Please consider supporting B@B with a donation: There is no gift like the present.
But gifts are nice too:
Feed Me!
Stuff You Must Read
Friday, August 09, 2013
This is the greatest thing in the history of things.
You know, I love a dorkalicious surrealist art video of a cat in a shark costume riding a Roomba as much as the next person. But for sheer glad-to-be-alive silly, nothing beats Stephen Colbert and friends busting a move -- and making lemonade out of band-booking lemons.
Labels: music, Stephen Colbert, Teh Silly
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Maybe it's time to kill punditry once and for all and just leave it to the comedians
Saturday, April 30, 2011
The problem is that the lunatics will start believing this
Labels: humor, Stephen Colbert
Saturday, November 20, 2010
The truth hurts, Mr. Beck
In the interest of full disclosure, I have to confess that I have never watched Glenn Beck in full. What I see of Glenn Beck is what I see on The Daily Show and Countdown. For all I know, outside of the clips these programs show, Mr. Beck is a serious political analyst on a par with, oh, say, Jim Lehrer or the late Daniel Schorr. But somehow I doubt it.
It's hard for me to imagine that Beck's schtick is meant seriously. It's so over-the-top, so completely lunatic, that it comes across as performance art -- something the late Andy Kaufman would have put together. One has to wonder: if Glenn Beck is for real, how is someone this insane even able to function in day-to-day life, let alone put a show together every day. Are Jim Earl and Barry Lank perhaps writing for Glenn Beck now, only Beck thinks the stuff they give him to read off a teleprompter is for real? It would be irresponsible not to speculate.
Because Beck's televised obsession with George Soros is pure comedy gold, as Jon Stewart pointed out the other night in yet another brilliant Beck spoof:
Apparently Mr. Beck, whose gift of projection is seen in the above segment in his accusations about George Soros, is unhappy with Stewart's spot-on parody:
Stewart and fellow satirist/provocateur Stephen Colbert have jointly been nominated for Time magazine's annual "Person of the Year" award. Right now they're at #4. You know what to do.
It's hard for me to imagine that Beck's schtick is meant seriously. It's so over-the-top, so completely lunatic, that it comes across as performance art -- something the late Andy Kaufman would have put together. One has to wonder: if Glenn Beck is for real, how is someone this insane even able to function in day-to-day life, let alone put a show together every day. Are Jim Earl and Barry Lank perhaps writing for Glenn Beck now, only Beck thinks the stuff they give him to read off a teleprompter is for real? It would be irresponsible not to speculate.
Because Beck's televised obsession with George Soros is pure comedy gold, as Jon Stewart pointed out the other night in yet another brilliant Beck spoof:
Apparently Mr. Beck, whose gift of projection is seen in the above segment in his accusations about George Soros, is unhappy with Stewart's spot-on parody:
Today Beck sent out an email blast asking if he should get a restraining order against Stewart, because Stewart spent 66% of a show on Beck. Apparently Beck crunched the numbers, came up with 66% of the minutes in a single show, and felt that was a powerful statistic that would prove Beck's point about how "creepy" Jon Stewart is! Okayy.....
He also gave the story prominent coverage in The Blaze:
Jon Stewart spent over seven minutes mocking Fox News and Glenn Beck’s recent George Soros expose.
Stewart and fellow satirist/provocateur Stephen Colbert have jointly been nominated for Time magazine's annual "Person of the Year" award. Right now they're at #4. You know what to do.
Labels: Glenn Beck, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Happy Rally Day!
Whether you're going to the Rally to Restore Sanity And/Or Fear today or, like we in the Brilliant household, watching it on TV because a) I am headed out of town tomorrow and need some time to decompress before leaving; b) the thought of five hours in DC with no place to pee is terrifying; and c) I've been working like a dog and I'm just plain tired; there's something that feels, well, ALMOST hopey-changey today. I say almost because I am tired of hoping things will ever get better when we live in a nation of willfully ignorant people ruled by their prejudices. But it's expected to be a really nice day in DC today, and whether there's just a comedy show with some nice music or something that feels like a groundswell of something yet to be determined, something feels significant about this rally.
I don't know if it's because of the fits that mainstream journalists are having about it (Tobin Harshaw in the New York Times is the latest, citing the Still Angry About Hillary Taylor Marsh as an unimpeachable source), though I suspect that has something to do with it. These are people trapped in a dying industry; an industry dying of largely self-inflicted wounds. It was one thing when journalists could legitimately pat themselves on the back for breaking actual stories. Bob Woodward may be a shameless hack now, but at one time, he and Carl Bernstein broke the kind of story that journalists today would be afraid to touch and made a generation of young people want to be journalists. The problem is that journalism, particularly Washington journalism, forgot what its job was -- to report the news and to keep the feet of politicians to the fire and keep them honest. We'll report what you do, said journalists, but if you fuck up or you betray the public trust, we will pillory you just as you deserve.
Something happened along the way. Journalists were invited into the corridors of power and decided they liked it there. Sally Quinn, who married Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, held parties that were the toast of Washington, and she decided early on that the Clintons weren't her kind of people, so the press did her bidding. David Gregory danced with Karl Rove at a Washington dinner and later on became the moderator of the once-venerable Meet the Press. But it wasn't just WaPo or television networks owned by defense contractors, or even Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. The New York Times ran a story about how the Clintons lost money in a land deal, and next thing you know, the paper is at the forefront of what will go down in history as the biggest partisan witch hunt ever perpetrated on a president. Judith Miller schmoozed with Scooter Libby, and soon the front page of the New York Times was carrying the Bush Administration's water on the false claims of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Howard Dean dares to run for president, and Times reporter Jodi Wilgoren makes it her business to bring him down.
If journalism hadn't completely blown its credibility on stories like Whitewater and Gary Condit and shark attacks, while carrying the Bush Junta's water on Iraq, a bunch of people in bathrobes making use of this new technology called the Internet couldn't have replaced the increasing triviality and utter horseshit dished up by so-called news outlets.
Jason Linkins over at That Thing Arianna Huffington Publishes That No One Reads has been documenting the roots of this rally. He cites Jon Stewart's first broadcast after the 9/11 attacks:
...noting, quite accurately in my opinion:
I kind of disagree, though. This rally isn't about gaining political power, it's about a five-foot-six-inch Jewish comedian and a Catholic sunday school teacher from Montclair, New Jersey, who have been having to do the job that people they once believed, and want to believe again, are their betters. Those people aren't the politicians, however. The people who are going to be made fun of today aren't easy targets like Louie Gohmert and Christine O'Donnell and Sarah Palin and Sharron Angle. That's like shooting fish in a barrel. I think what you're going to see is more along the lines of the TRUE roots of this rally:
I don't know if it's because of the fits that mainstream journalists are having about it (Tobin Harshaw in the New York Times is the latest, citing the Still Angry About Hillary Taylor Marsh as an unimpeachable source), though I suspect that has something to do with it. These are people trapped in a dying industry; an industry dying of largely self-inflicted wounds. It was one thing when journalists could legitimately pat themselves on the back for breaking actual stories. Bob Woodward may be a shameless hack now, but at one time, he and Carl Bernstein broke the kind of story that journalists today would be afraid to touch and made a generation of young people want to be journalists. The problem is that journalism, particularly Washington journalism, forgot what its job was -- to report the news and to keep the feet of politicians to the fire and keep them honest. We'll report what you do, said journalists, but if you fuck up or you betray the public trust, we will pillory you just as you deserve.
Something happened along the way. Journalists were invited into the corridors of power and decided they liked it there. Sally Quinn, who married Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, held parties that were the toast of Washington, and she decided early on that the Clintons weren't her kind of people, so the press did her bidding. David Gregory danced with Karl Rove at a Washington dinner and later on became the moderator of the once-venerable Meet the Press. But it wasn't just WaPo or television networks owned by defense contractors, or even Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. The New York Times ran a story about how the Clintons lost money in a land deal, and next thing you know, the paper is at the forefront of what will go down in history as the biggest partisan witch hunt ever perpetrated on a president. Judith Miller schmoozed with Scooter Libby, and soon the front page of the New York Times was carrying the Bush Administration's water on the false claims of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Howard Dean dares to run for president, and Times reporter Jodi Wilgoren makes it her business to bring him down.
If journalism hadn't completely blown its credibility on stories like Whitewater and Gary Condit and shark attacks, while carrying the Bush Junta's water on Iraq, a bunch of people in bathrobes making use of this new technology called the Internet couldn't have replaced the increasing triviality and utter horseshit dished up by so-called news outlets.
Jason Linkins over at That Thing Arianna Huffington Publishes That No One Reads has been documenting the roots of this rally. He cites Jon Stewart's first broadcast after the 9/11 attacks:
...noting, quite accurately in my opinion:
...when I watched this again, after so many years, I couldn't help but think that maybe someone has recently stolen this segment, stripped it of its sincerity, and turned it into self-serving schtick. Maybe someone should go and steal it back.
I kind of disagree, though. This rally isn't about gaining political power, it's about a five-foot-six-inch Jewish comedian and a Catholic sunday school teacher from Montclair, New Jersey, who have been having to do the job that people they once believed, and want to believe again, are their betters. Those people aren't the politicians, however. The people who are going to be made fun of today aren't easy targets like Louie Gohmert and Christine O'Donnell and Sarah Palin and Sharron Angle. That's like shooting fish in a barrel. I think what you're going to see is more along the lines of the TRUE roots of this rally:
Labels: Jon Stewart, real journalism, Stephen Colbert
Saturday, September 25, 2010
In case you missed this
I got to watch to this live yesterday. All by itself it made getting the Droid worth every penny:
And the (semi-)serious side here.
If you need further proof that what Colbert did yesterday is right up there with his White House Correspondents Dinner masterpiece, check out the response of Rep. Steve King (R-Wackyland):
Oh yes he did. Yes, he really did invoke Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, the unemployed plumber/Republican prop. I'm waiting now for the footage of Mr. Wurzelbacher working in the fields. Because until he does, invoking his name simply proves Colbert's point.
There are no words to describe tha awesomeness displayed yesterday by this Sunday School teacher from Montclair. He makes me proud to live in Joisey.
And the (semi-)serious side here.
If you need further proof that what Colbert did yesterday is right up there with his White House Correspondents Dinner masterpiece, check out the response of Rep. Steve King (R-Wackyland):
"Maybe we should be spending less time watching Comedy Central and more time considering all the real jobs that are out there, ones that require real hard labor," King said bitterly. He invoked the "Joe the Plumbers of the world who, many days, would prefer the aroma of fresh dirt to that of the sewage from American elitists who disparage them even as they flush."
Oh yes he did. Yes, he really did invoke Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, the unemployed plumber/Republican prop. I'm waiting now for the footage of Mr. Wurzelbacher working in the fields. Because until he does, invoking his name simply proves Colbert's point.
There are no words to describe tha awesomeness displayed yesterday by this Sunday School teacher from Montclair. He makes me proud to live in Joisey.
Labels: sheer awesomeness, Stephen Colbert
Friday, September 17, 2010
So....will this just be live versions of the shows, or participatory performance art on a massive scale?
If the former, you'll see it better on TV. If the latter, well....
(click images for more information...)
(click images for more information...)
Labels: Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert
Sunday, April 12, 2009
An Easter Miracle; a Resurrection of Sorts, Even....
Since Jill has gone all warm and fuzzy, I'm gonna take that as a license to go to that place myself in my own way...You could call this my Blog Against Theocracy if I had been together enough to publish it when I wrote it, which was back on day 1 of Passover. Conditions here at teh Rooster Ranch have allowed that this post can stretch from back in the dark days of night one of Passover (actually its a happy night and a dark night all in one,) all the way through relig(ulous) intolerance, to the Pagan Bunny here bringing us the renewal of life and the fertility of spring! Enjoy! My Jewish half is taking us to Chinese Dim Sum and my Catholic half is making a basket for William.
RIP Mrs. Coo, (if you're merely here for the miracle, you can skip to the bottom:)
I just finished watching Religulous, Bill Maher's tour de force on the illogical, scary, and silly world of belief...and now on this first night of remembrance of the passing over of the angel of death, which, as I recall, has some lambs blood and baby killing in the story, Ive got to say that I'm happy to stick to the pagan bunny and the rites of spring that somehow got co opted by some story of Jesus rolling back a rock and rising to heaven.
So, in a Colbert-like over the top, what must have been fraternity hazing, that was passion play and sign of macho all rolled in one, some beefy football hunks from the local Sacred Heart University carried heavy wooden crosses some 25 miles from one church to another, complete with picture of the boys with the crosses outfitted with pillows duct taped onto them in the shoulder area so that they wouldn't actually hurt themselves, though they reported many blisters. All thats missing is the whips!
I'm thinking that Religulous ought to be required viewing for this time of year. With the way things are, as Maher points out, most religious people in this country haven't actually read the bible all the way through anyway, and their belief sets are based on something other than striving for understanding of a spiritual path or where we fit in this world. There is certainly a lack of understanding of other religions and a lack of critical thought about the timing of all of this penance and miracle celebration.
Its at times like this that I wonder how we ever ended up here. Coming down from 8 years of fundamentalist leadership in this country might be, in hindsight, something like picking up the pieces after the inquisition, but we wont know in our lifetimes the full extent of how bad this really is; history will judge this time in a far larger context than we can see from inside this bubble. But its gonna look a little crazy, even if you keep the blinders on hoping that most of this can just move on by and end up under some rug somewhere. Historians are not that forgiving it turns out; we can only hope.
Me, I'm clutching my Peeps close to my chest and waiting for the bunny to come hopping down the path with my prayer bear, and pretending that Ive got a basket coming from that rabbit, full of all the fantastic confections that Cadbury, Dove, and the Peeps company can come up with...
So here is my Easter Miracle (tm)...a veritable ressurection of sorts...for this year:
Mrs. Coonie was a rare bantam barred Aracuana that came to live with me via eggbid some time ago. I got her because Coo, my Aracuana roo would like her, or so I supposed. She was cute and cheap and, it turned out, from a fancy line of chickens and pretty special. Well, some 20 days ago, the unfortunate Mrs. Coo passed away due to...well, lets just say that she died laying an egg. The life of a chicken is hard, but the egg thing is what they do, and all I can do is to try to make it more comfortable for them. In any case, after that tragedy, I decided to grab her last egg and the couple that I had in the fridge, along with a couple of others and put them in the incubator just to see what came out. I had expected a hatch tomorrow or the next day but, look what was waiting for me this morning:
If this is Coonie's child it is a fancy bird from which I could perhaps sell the eggs for hatching or lease it out at stud....If its the bastard son of Woostie, or worse, the accidental-frizzle-roo-who-must-go-as-soon-as-he-crows, then hes a mutt pet. If it is Coonie's kid and its barred, its apparently a roo. If its Coonie's kid and its a hen then it could be any color but barred would be better. If its a mutt then nothing matters except that it keep its mouth shut so the neighbors are not bothered.
In any case, Happy Easter and RIP Mrs. Coo. You did good in the chicken sense of purpose, in that you replaced yourself and provided alot of tiny breakfast eggs along the way. The rest is up to the forces of chicken sex and all that entails....you tell me:
Coonie Aracuana:
Woostie Woo:
Only time will tell....
c/p RIP Coco
RIP Mrs. Coo, (if you're merely here for the miracle, you can skip to the bottom:)
I just finished watching Religulous, Bill Maher's tour de force on the illogical, scary, and silly world of belief...and now on this first night of remembrance of the passing over of the angel of death, which, as I recall, has some lambs blood and baby killing in the story, Ive got to say that I'm happy to stick to the pagan bunny and the rites of spring that somehow got co opted by some story of Jesus rolling back a rock and rising to heaven.
So, in a Colbert-like over the top, what must have been fraternity hazing, that was passion play and sign of macho all rolled in one, some beefy football hunks from the local Sacred Heart University carried heavy wooden crosses some 25 miles from one church to another, complete with picture of the boys with the crosses outfitted with pillows duct taped onto them in the shoulder area so that they wouldn't actually hurt themselves, though they reported many blisters. All thats missing is the whips!
I'm thinking that Religulous ought to be required viewing for this time of year. With the way things are, as Maher points out, most religious people in this country haven't actually read the bible all the way through anyway, and their belief sets are based on something other than striving for understanding of a spiritual path or where we fit in this world. There is certainly a lack of understanding of other religions and a lack of critical thought about the timing of all of this penance and miracle celebration.
Its at times like this that I wonder how we ever ended up here. Coming down from 8 years of fundamentalist leadership in this country might be, in hindsight, something like picking up the pieces after the inquisition, but we wont know in our lifetimes the full extent of how bad this really is; history will judge this time in a far larger context than we can see from inside this bubble. But its gonna look a little crazy, even if you keep the blinders on hoping that most of this can just move on by and end up under some rug somewhere. Historians are not that forgiving it turns out; we can only hope.
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Colbert's Easter Parade | ||||
| ||||
Me, I'm clutching my Peeps close to my chest and waiting for the bunny to come hopping down the path with my prayer bear, and pretending that Ive got a basket coming from that rabbit, full of all the fantastic confections that Cadbury, Dove, and the Peeps company can come up with...
So here is my Easter Miracle (tm)...a veritable ressurection of sorts...for this year:
Mrs. Coonie was a rare bantam barred Aracuana that came to live with me via eggbid some time ago. I got her because Coo, my Aracuana roo would like her, or so I supposed. She was cute and cheap and, it turned out, from a fancy line of chickens and pretty special. Well, some 20 days ago, the unfortunate Mrs. Coo passed away due to...well, lets just say that she died laying an egg. The life of a chicken is hard, but the egg thing is what they do, and all I can do is to try to make it more comfortable for them. In any case, after that tragedy, I decided to grab her last egg and the couple that I had in the fridge, along with a couple of others and put them in the incubator just to see what came out. I had expected a hatch tomorrow or the next day but, look what was waiting for me this morning:
If this is Coonie's child it is a fancy bird from which I could perhaps sell the eggs for hatching or lease it out at stud....If its the bastard son of Woostie, or worse, the accidental-frizzle-roo-who-must-go-as-soon-as-he-crows, then hes a mutt pet. If it is Coonie's kid and its barred, its apparently a roo. If its Coonie's kid and its a hen then it could be any color but barred would be better. If its a mutt then nothing matters except that it keep its mouth shut so the neighbors are not bothered.
In any case, Happy Easter and RIP Mrs. Coo. You did good in the chicken sense of purpose, in that you replaced yourself and provided alot of tiny breakfast eggs along the way. The rest is up to the forces of chicken sex and all that entails....you tell me:
Coonie Aracuana:
Woostie Woo:
Only time will tell....
c/p RIP Coco
Labels: Bill Maher, Easter, religion, Stephen Colbert
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Weirdest. Interview. Ever.
This has to be the strangest interview ever seen on the Colbert Report:
Not least because Paul McCartney now looks like Paul McCartney in old age makeup.
Not least because Paul McCartney now looks like Paul McCartney in old age makeup.
Labels: music, Stephen Colbert
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Remember THIS white male?
While the punditocracy are touting the importance of the poor, put-upon, persecuted white male, the white guy the pundits mocked out of the race had some fun on The Colbert Report.
Introducing......EdWørds:
(h/t: C&L)
Introducing......EdWørds:
(h/t: C&L)
Labels: 2008 election, comedy, John Edwards, Stephen Colbert
Friday, December 21, 2007
Free Ham
Remember that old joke (I'm allowed to tell this one under the "It's OK to knock your own team rule) about the Jewish dilemma of free ham?
Well, it looks like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are about to give us the liberal equivalent of that free ham: They're going back to work January 7, with or without writers.
Alan Sepinwall of the Star-Ledger reports:
Does it count as crossing the picket line if Stewart and Colbert produce their shows, even if they don't hire scab writers to do it? And what does it mean for organized labor when two of the biggest progressive media icons cross the picket line?
UPDATE: Jane Hamsher says that this is Comedy Central's (read: Viacom's) decision, not that of Stewart and Colbert.
Well, it looks like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are about to give us the liberal equivalent of that free ham: They're going back to work January 7, with or without writers.
Alan Sepinwall of the Star-Ledger reports:
Can you do fake news without real writers?
Following the lead taken by late night personalities like Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel -- and possibly David Letterman -- "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart and "Colbert Report" host Stephen Colbert announced late Thursday that they would return to work on their Comedy Central shows in early January, whether or not the Writers Guild of America strike is over by that point.
"We would like to return to work with our writers," Stewart and Colbert said in a joint statement. "If we cannot, we would like to express our ambivalence, but without our writers we are unable to express something as nuanced as ambivalence."
[snip]
While "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" feature interview segments, both shows devote far more of each episode to written material than their talk show counterparts. Stewart doesn't come up with those punchlines about government and media hypocrisy off the top of his head, and Colbert's "The Word" segment isn't improvised.
Comedy Central declined to reveal exactly how each show will be put together if the strike continues into the new year. (At present, no new talks are planned between the WGA and the entertainment companies.)
Does it count as crossing the picket line if Stewart and Colbert produce their shows, even if they don't hire scab writers to do it? And what does it mean for organized labor when two of the biggest progressive media icons cross the picket line?
UPDATE: Jane Hamsher says that this is Comedy Central's (read: Viacom's) decision, not that of Stewart and Colbert.
Labels: Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, WGA strike
Monday, October 29, 2007
Another reason to love John Edwards
While Barack Obama's staff is trying unsuccessfully to explain away having homophobic pseudo-ex-gay bigots sing at fundraisers for him, John Edwards' staff gets into the spirit of Stephen Colbert's quixotic presidential campaign:
Do I smell a winning 2008 ticket in the making here? Or just the nacho cheez staining Colbert's fingers?
(h/t: Melissa)
Mayor Bob Coble also declared October 28th "Stephen Colbert Day." Coble has endorsed another South Carolina native for President, the Democratic former Sen. John Edwards.
Asked about this apparent conflict, the Edwards campaign said that until Colbert wins the primary like Edwards did in 2004, he cannot claim to be a favorite son.
Edwards spokesperson Teresa Wells also ribbed Colbert for his ties to the snack food industry. Colbert has said his campaign will be sponsored by Doritos.
"What is more troubling than his quest for a status his own mother won't grant him (favorite son) are his ties to the salty food industry," Wells said. "As the candidate of Doritos, his hands are stained by corporate corruption and nacho cheese. John Edwards has never taken a dime from taco chip lobbyists and America deserves a President who isn't in the pocket of the snack food special interests."
Do I smell a winning 2008 ticket in the making here? Or just the nacho cheez staining Colbert's fingers?
(h/t: Melissa)
Labels: 2008 election, comedy, John Edwards, Stephen Colbert
Thursday, October 25, 2007
This should tell both parties something
The media may have already anointed the 2008 race a matchup between Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, but this is clearly not a prospect that makes Americans in either party happy:
Comedian Stephen Colbert is not a threat to win the presidency, but the odds are that that his satire will win plenty of laughs and maybe even some votes.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that Colbert is preferred by 13% of voters as an independent candidate challenging Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Rudy Giuliani. The survey was conducted shortly after Colbert’s surprise announcement that he is lusting for the Oval Office.
The result is similar when Fred Thompson is the Republican in the three-way race. With Thompson as the GOP candidate, Colbert earns 12% of the vote.
Labels: 2008 election, Stephen Colbert
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Illegal Immigrants are Hiding in the Hills Around San Diego, and the Surrounding Area...What About Them? ...Colbert Continues Sweep....
Its gonna be alot harder to ignore and under-serve the people of San Diego and LA in this deal than it was to screw the people of New Orleans, but it sure sent a shiver down my spine to see Skeletor Chertoff on TV today, mouthing the disaster talking points, just as Brownie did once before....
yeah, its chilling...and not even in as much as the search, rescue, and help can even start because the thing remains out of control...half a million people are currently displaced, and I expect that number to grow exponentially as the days go on. There is no way to fight this fire except to hope that the winds don't come back as strong as they have been and to keep on fighting. Its definitely not under control.
According to 1010 WINS in New York City, some big stadium is offering gourmet food and massages. Who knows if that's true, but they are definitely being very careful to keep the people as comfortable as possible and to have Chertoff right on the scene to report the exact number of cots that they've got. Of course these people are a slightly different hue and class than the majority of the people who were housed and then shipped off from in and around NOLA.
It turns out that , tragically, many of the neediest people wont go to the stadium and shelters, because they are illegal and living in the hills. The fact that immigration raids in San Diego were suspended when the fires broke out aren't likely to make many of the illegal people ask for or accept help, considering how rabidly illegals are under fire in the area. So far only around 50 illegals have "turned themselves in" due to the fires. With thousands living in the area, this is what could be the big humanitarian toll in this thing.
As the fires spread into Mexico there is also a question about the conditions there and if the workers on farms will even be allowed to evacuate. I'm looking for this to be the big story in this thing...and I only hope that it brings to light the real plight of the illegal immigrants who are searching for a better life and will risk everything for a chance to be productive Americans and try to help their families back home. Im not in a place right now to discuss how globalism and outsourcing has hurt local economies even as they helped in some other ways, but having the local balance upset in favor of large American corporations, as opposed to foreign aid to help with a country's development, surely has not done much for the people.
...And like clockwork, Bush's people said that it was "premature" yesterday for the man to visit the area....are they crazy? I know he doesnt give a shit anymore abotu what anyone out here thinks, but as far as his legacy goes, I would think that he would want to strap on a parachute and jump! This is the worst fire ever out there, and its destroying, not only some of the most beautiful and important parts of our country, but many, many houses and lives. I can only imagine what its going to be like when this is all over.....
Rule of thumb for the White House: By the time that Schwarzenegger and his crew have been over to the stadium...by the time that the networks are on their way and Charlie Gibson is on the ground delivering talking points from the embers, its too late!
I can imagine that they're eventually gonna send Bushy in his cowboy boots and jeans to talk about the finer points of clearing brush....Because its all about clearing brush.
My father is just north of LA, but he still has a house down there that he rents out...its all probably safe in that area because its an upper class area...but he said that the air is so bad that its sickening to even go out in it. The place where he lives now is pretty fancy and the big move there has been to cut back all the dry brush from anywhere there are houses, and in recent years communities plan brush cuts so as to prevent big fires. I don't know if anything like that works, but clearly, you can't cut all the brush from everywhere. You also cant make it rain...maybe locusts and frogs, but apparently god has no water for the west.
The drought out west is another tragic example of how fast climate change is effecting us. What was previously something that might effect our children's children, seems to be speeding up, as if its gaining speed as it rolls downhill. We had been pleasantly surprised at how quickly the ozone hole repaired itself and how quickly the Clinton-Gore administration was able to begin to get a handle on emissions from trucks and plants...the levels of deadly, environment damaging poisons were reduced significantly, before the Bush-Cheney administration came in and canceled all of the programs and pending lawsuits...just like that. This was done in favor of big business, just like almost everything they do. How quickly things returned to where they were and got worse, is illustrative of just how bad this administration has been as a steward of this country's health and in keeping America's part up as a part of the world community.
Meantime....I feel like Im Dorothy in Oz and the shiny bubble is floating down..."Heres someone who can help you!" Who has moved up to #4 in the Democratic presidential race?...who is that man?...and is it wholly possible that a brilliant clown can sweep in and become our candidate for president?...well, we know that a chimp could do better than Bush/Cheney...so, take it as you will.
Ok, so the Sunday Tim Russert Interview wasn't all that great, but put him with Jon Stewart and you've got a little slice of magic. The really funny thing is that I already had the bumper sticker and the buttons from last year....As Colbert says, all I've got to do is to cut off Stewart's name...
C/P RIPCoco
yeah, its chilling...and not even in as much as the search, rescue, and help can even start because the thing remains out of control...half a million people are currently displaced, and I expect that number to grow exponentially as the days go on. There is no way to fight this fire except to hope that the winds don't come back as strong as they have been and to keep on fighting. Its definitely not under control.
According to 1010 WINS in New York City, some big stadium is offering gourmet food and massages. Who knows if that's true, but they are definitely being very careful to keep the people as comfortable as possible and to have Chertoff right on the scene to report the exact number of cots that they've got. Of course these people are a slightly different hue and class than the majority of the people who were housed and then shipped off from in and around NOLA.
It turns out that , tragically, many of the neediest people wont go to the stadium and shelters, because they are illegal and living in the hills. The fact that immigration raids in San Diego were suspended when the fires broke out aren't likely to make many of the illegal people ask for or accept help, considering how rabidly illegals are under fire in the area. So far only around 50 illegals have "turned themselves in" due to the fires. With thousands living in the area, this is what could be the big humanitarian toll in this thing.
As the fires spread into Mexico there is also a question about the conditions there and if the workers on farms will even be allowed to evacuate. I'm looking for this to be the big story in this thing...and I only hope that it brings to light the real plight of the illegal immigrants who are searching for a better life and will risk everything for a chance to be productive Americans and try to help their families back home. Im not in a place right now to discuss how globalism and outsourcing has hurt local economies even as they helped in some other ways, but having the local balance upset in favor of large American corporations, as opposed to foreign aid to help with a country's development, surely has not done much for the people.
...And like clockwork, Bush's people said that it was "premature" yesterday for the man to visit the area....are they crazy? I know he doesnt give a shit anymore abotu what anyone out here thinks, but as far as his legacy goes, I would think that he would want to strap on a parachute and jump! This is the worst fire ever out there, and its destroying, not only some of the most beautiful and important parts of our country, but many, many houses and lives. I can only imagine what its going to be like when this is all over.....
Rule of thumb for the White House: By the time that Schwarzenegger and his crew have been over to the stadium...by the time that the networks are on their way and Charlie Gibson is on the ground delivering talking points from the embers, its too late!
I can imagine that they're eventually gonna send Bushy in his cowboy boots and jeans to talk about the finer points of clearing brush....Because its all about clearing brush.
My father is just north of LA, but he still has a house down there that he rents out...its all probably safe in that area because its an upper class area...but he said that the air is so bad that its sickening to even go out in it. The place where he lives now is pretty fancy and the big move there has been to cut back all the dry brush from anywhere there are houses, and in recent years communities plan brush cuts so as to prevent big fires. I don't know if anything like that works, but clearly, you can't cut all the brush from everywhere. You also cant make it rain...maybe locusts and frogs, but apparently god has no water for the west.
The drought out west is another tragic example of how fast climate change is effecting us. What was previously something that might effect our children's children, seems to be speeding up, as if its gaining speed as it rolls downhill. We had been pleasantly surprised at how quickly the ozone hole repaired itself and how quickly the Clinton-Gore administration was able to begin to get a handle on emissions from trucks and plants...the levels of deadly, environment damaging poisons were reduced significantly, before the Bush-Cheney administration came in and canceled all of the programs and pending lawsuits...just like that. This was done in favor of big business, just like almost everything they do. How quickly things returned to where they were and got worse, is illustrative of just how bad this administration has been as a steward of this country's health and in keeping America's part up as a part of the world community.
Meantime....I feel like Im Dorothy in Oz and the shiny bubble is floating down..."Heres someone who can help you!" Who has moved up to #4 in the Democratic presidential race?...who is that man?...and is it wholly possible that a brilliant clown can sweep in and become our candidate for president?...well, we know that a chimp could do better than Bush/Cheney...so, take it as you will.
Ok, so the Sunday Tim Russert Interview wasn't all that great, but put him with Jon Stewart and you've got a little slice of magic. The really funny thing is that I already had the bumper sticker and the buttons from last year....As Colbert says, all I've got to do is to cut off Stewart's name...
C/P RIPCoco
Labels: immigration, Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Anyone else think he just might have created a monster he can't control here?
Labels: 2008 election, Stephen Colbert
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Hit and Run ...Defending the Indefensible; Markos on Colbert
Kos is seemingly everywhere this week, and even though I'm starting to feel like the tiny fringe edge of some sitcom career prep course, it seems to me like these guys might be just making sure that even the folks who really do only get their news this way understand free speech...or something like that....
Stephen Colbert is one of my hero's, and I have to say that ever since he stood up at the White House Correspondent's dinner in '06 and smeared the President, he has not disappointed.
From the goose stepping blogschtappo pillow fort:
It occurs to me that this is sort of scripted, and it annoys me a little that Markos talks as if he is speaking to his child...but actually, Colbert in his Papa Bear persona is alot like a child.
Have a good day everybody...I'm off...
Stephen Colbert is one of my hero's, and I have to say that ever since he stood up at the White House Correspondent's dinner in '06 and smeared the President, he has not disappointed.
From the goose stepping blogschtappo pillow fort:
It occurs to me that this is sort of scripted, and it annoys me a little that Markos talks as if he is speaking to his child...but actually, Colbert in his Papa Bear persona is alot like a child.
Have a good day everybody...I'm off...
Labels: Stephen Colbert
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
My New Hero
Tommy Chong:
And the report that started it all:
Flustering the anchor indeed.
(via the marvellously-named Jazz from Hell).
And the report that started it all:
Flustering the anchor indeed.
(via the marvellously-named Jazz from Hell).
Labels: comedy, hypocrisy, Stephen Colbert, tabloid journalism
Sunday, March 25, 2007
And Rockne's pretty Knut you know....
You just KNEW it was coming, didn't you:
(Via -- where else? -- Cute Overload, which is probably thinking it might as well shut down right now, because the Ultimate Pinnacle of Cuteness has now been reached.)
(Via -- where else? -- Cute Overload, which is probably thinking it might as well shut down right now, because the Ultimate Pinnacle of Cuteness has now been reached.)
Labels: Knut, Stephen Colbert
Other Brilliant Bloggers
DriftglassCorrente
Hullabaloo
Hoffmania
Orcinus
Scoobie Davis
Talking Points Memo
World O'Crap
Fact-esque
Liberal Oasis
Oliver Willis
Talk Left
This Modern World
Philip Barron
Rising Hegemon
AMERICABlog
James Wolcott
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Dependable Renegade
The Political Carnival
Astrological Musings
Firedoglake
Spiiderweb
Words of Power
RIPCoco
Kung Fu Monkey
Empire Burlesque
WTF is it Now
Down With Tyranny
Welcome Back to Pottersvillle
Spocko's Brain
The Sideshow
The Ostroy Report
Fallenmonk
Three Wise Men
NewsHoggers
Blue Gal
Blah3
Shadow of the Hegemon
Slacktivist
ShortWoman
Echidne of the Snakes
Jesus' General
My Left Wing
Arthur Silber
Republic of T
Bitch Ph.D
The American Street
Comments from Left Field
Balloon Juice
I Can't Believe It's Not a Democracy
Scholars and Rogues
On My Mind
PhysioProf
The Vulgar Curmudgeon
Monkeyfister
Sasha Undercover
ThePoliticalCat
Fables of the Reconstruction
Talk2Action
D-Day
State of the Day
Just an Earth-Bound Misfit
Bradblog
They Gave Us a Republic
Vagabond Scholar
Seeing the Forest
The Reaction
Orcinus
SteveAudio
Princess Sparkle Pony
Paul Levinson
Politics After 50
The Jed Report
One Utah
Sam Seder
Alternet
The Political Carnival
County Fair
Mudflats
A Feather Adrift
That's Why
Disciples of Joe
No Longer Quivering
Margaret and Helen
Stand With Dr. Dean
All the Good Names Were Taken
Badtux the Snarky Penguin
My Mental Dumping Ground
Legal Schnauzer
Alicublog
Bouphonia
Konagod
The Reverse Spin
City of Angels
The Gospel According to Hate
Menopausal Stoners
Stinque
The New York Crank
BP Oil Slick
Pen-Elayne
Inside-Out the Beltway
Reclusive Leftist
Southern Beale
The Moderate Voice
The Rant
Help the 99ers
Brendan Calling
Matt Taibbi
I Was Told There Would Be Bacon
We Don't Agree, But...
ShortWoman
of mule dung and ash
Cookies in Heaven
The Hunting of the Snark
The Policy Page (Rick Ungar)
Ramona's Voices
Sardonicky
Dagblog
The Titanic Sails At Dawn
Cheese Food Nation
Donkey Mountain
Thump and Whip
Under the Lobsterscope
Addicting Info
Wifely Person
Disaffected and it Feels So Good
Reality Chex
Burnt Orange Report
Salmon Alley
The Politics Blog w/Charles Pierce
Elizabitchez
We Are The 99 Percent.
Republic of Gilead
amigoingsomeplace
Fukushima Diary
The Polygon
Degringolade
Onyx Lynx
Parsley's Pics
Mainmati
Brandflakes for Breakfast
The Economic Populist
Liberal Dan
Ex-Amish Atheist
The Poor Man's Huffington Post
Constant Commoner
Channel Surfing
Big Bad Bald Bastard
Panic in Funland (Tbogg!!!)
Weird Wally's Worldview
Brilliant Furriners
Because we all may have to live somewhere else someday.The Galloping Beaver (Canada)
Cathie from Canada
How This Old Brit Sees It ...
Stunner's Afflictions (Jamaica)
Jamaican Lifestyle
Heathers
Pulling up the ladderbehind them
Daily Kos
Atrios
Open Left
CeleBloggers
Roger EbertDispatches from the Island &
Further Dispatches
(Jorge Garcia)
Baseball Nerd
(Keith Olbermann)
FOK News Channel (ditto)
Brilliant at Tweeting
(We won't do it, but we'll follow them)Marc Maron
Sam Seder
Brendan McDonald
Johnny Weir
Melina
Lynn
Keith Olbermann
In Memoriam
(yes, we're getting tired of having to do this)
Break Room Live archives
Morning Sedition 3/04-12/05
A Brilliant Radio Show -
Morning Seditionists
Camp Butch (all the
Sedition you can eat)
Jim Earl and his
Big Page of Crap
Morning Remembrance
Steve Gilliard 1966-2007:
A Brilliant Blogger
The News Blog archive
NetSlaves article archive
Friends of Steve:
The Group News Blog
"Jon Swift" (Al Weisel) 1963-2010
Bats Left Throws Right (Doghouse Riley)
Brilliant at Disappearing
Maybe they've been raptured?Altercation
The All-Spin Zone
Baghdad Burning
Carrie's Nation
Little Country Lost
Cynical Nation
Pam's House Blend
photos1.blogger.com/blogger/397/497/320/bb_banner.1.jpg]^23004A00]coral]navy],](](]]]black],]3]8]20]1]2]3]3]1]2]3]1]1],](](]^235E3D00])])]^3Cimg^20src^3D^22)photos1.blogger.com/blogger/397/497/320/bb_banner.1.jpg^22]^22...you^20have^20a^20choice^3A^20be^20a^20fighting^20liberal^20or^20sit^20quietly.^20I^20know^20what^20I^20am^2C^20what^20are^20you^3F^22^20--^20^3Ca^20href^3D^22)stevegilliard.blogspot.com/2003/12/im-fighting-liberal-you-know-ive.html^22^20STYLE^3D^22color^3Awhite^3B^22^3ESteve^20Gilliard^2C^201966^20-^202007^3C/a^3E^3CBR^3E^22For^20straight^20up^20monster-stomping^20goodness^2C^20nothing^20makes^20smoke^20shoot^20out^20my^20ears^20like^20Brilliant@Breakfast^22^20--^20^3Ca^20href^3D^22)www.poorimpulsecontrol.net/blog^22^20STYLE^3D^22color^3Awhite^3B^22^3ETata^3C/a^3E],](],](](]black](](](]^23FDF2D7](](](]^23333](](](],]50]20],](](]^23FFF8DD])])]black]1.5]15],](](]^2398A45C])])]black]^23FFF8DD])])]^23666]30]^235E3E1A]^23622121],](](]^235E3E1A](],](]^235E3E1A]^23039]^2306C],](](]^23FFF8DD])])],](](]^23FFF8DD])])],](](]^23FFF8DD])])],](]^235E3E1A]^23666]15]3]25]20]^23808C43],](](],](],](](],](]black](](](],](](](],]^235C3E11](](](],](](]^23211104](](](](](],]^2336F]^23211104](],](]Posted^20by^20^24AUTH^20^7C^20^24TIME]20],](](]^23FFF8DD])])]^23FFF8DD])])]^23666]30]^235E3E1A]^23622121],](](]^235E3E1A](],](]^23333]^23039]^2306C]Contact]]]Home]^24HOME]First^20Page]Email^3A^3CBR^3Ebrilliantatbreakfast^20at^20gmail^20dot^20com]]]RSS]^24RSS]RSS^20Feed]Your^20Servers]]]Jill]rilliantatbreakfast.blogspot.com]]Melina])www.ripcoco.com]RIPCoco]Carrie])carriesnation.blogspot.com]Carrie^27s^20Nation]And^20occasionally...]]]jurassicpork])welcome-to-pottersville.blogspot.com]Welcome^20to^20Pottersville]Bob])bobrixon.blogspot.com]The^20Rix^20Mix]Tata])www.poorimpulsecontrol.net/blog]Poor^20Impulse^20Control]Spiiderweb])spiiderweb.blogspot.com]Spiiderweb]Other^20Brilliant^20Bloggers]]]Modern^20Fabulousity])modernfabulousity.blogspot.com]Modern^20Fabulousity]Pandagon])www.pandagon.net]Pandagon]Altercation])www.mediamatters.org/altercation]Altercation]Corrente])www.correntewire.com/]Corrente]Hullabaloo])digbysblog.blogspot.com]Hullabaloo]Hoffmania])www.hoffmania.com]Hoffmania]Orcinus])dneiwert.blogspot.com]Orcinus]Scoobie^20Davis])scoobiedavis.blogspot.com]Scoobie^20Davis]Talking^20Points^20Memo])talkingpointsmemo.com]Talking^20Points^20Memo]World^20O^27Crap])world-o-crap.com/blog]World^20O^27Crap]Fact-esque])casadelogo.typepad.com/factesque/]Fact-esque]Liberal^20Oasis])www.liberaloasis.com/]Liberal^20Oasis]Oliver^20Willis])www.oliverwillis.com/]Oliver^20Willis]Talk^20Left])www.talkleft.com/]Talk^20Left]The^20Talent^20Show])www.thetalentshow.org/]The^20Talent^20Show]Waveflux])www.waveflux.net]Waveflux]Rising^20Hegemon])rising-hegemon.blogspot.com/]Rising^20Hegemon]The^20Poor^20Man])www.thepoorman.net/]The^20Poor^20Man]AMERICABlog])www.americablog.org/]AMERICABlog]Needlenose])www.needlenose.com/]Needlenose]Brilliant^20NJ^20bloggers]]]^24ARCHIVE]^20]]Friends]]]Horm])blog.horm.org]Hallucinations^20Of^20Reabsorbed^20Mind]Phorm])p.horm.org]Another^20Phormation]Etc]]]^3Cimg^20src^3D^22)psyc.horm.org/barimg/bar_psycho.png^22^20width^3D^2280^22^20height^3D^2215^22^20alt^3D^22PsycHo^3A^20Free^20Template^20Generator^22^20style^3D^22border^3A^200px^20solid^20black^22^20/^3E]^24PSYCHO]PsycHo^3A^20Free^20Template^20Generator]^3Cimg^20src^3D^22)psyc.horm.org/barimg/bar_firefox.png^22^20width^3D^2280^22^20height^3D^2215^22^20alt^3D^22Get^20FireFox^21^22^20style^3D^22border^3A^200px^20solid^20black^22^20/^3E])www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/]Get^20Firefox^21]^3Cimg^20src^3D^22)psyc.horm.org/barimg/bar_xhtml.png^22^20width^3D^2280^22^20height^3D^2215^22^20alt^3D^22XHTML^20Validator^22^20style^3D^22border^3A^200px^20solid^20black^22^20/^3E])validator.w3.org/check/referer]XHTML^20Validator]]]]Home]^24HOME]First^20Page]Email]^24EMAIL]Mail^20me^21]RSS]^24RSS]RSS^20Feed]Archive]]]^24ARCHIVE]^20]]Friends]]]Horm])blog.horm.org]Hallucinations^20Of^20Reabsorbed^20Mind]Phorm])p.horm.org]Another^20Phormation]Etc]]]^3Cimg^20src^3D^22)psyc.horm.org/barimg/bar_psycho.png^22^20width^3D^2280^22^20height^3D^2215^22^20alt^3D^22PsycHo^3A^20Free^20Template^20Generator^22^20style^3D^22border^3A^200px^20solid^20black^22^20/^3E]^24PSYCHO]PsycHo^3A^20Free^20Template^20Generator]^3Cimg^20src^3D^22)psyc.horm.org/barimg/bar_firefox.png^22^20width^3D^2280^22^20height^3D^2215^22^20alt^3D^22Get^20FireFox^21^22^20style^3D^22border^3A^200px^20solid^20black^22^20/^3E])www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/]Get^20Firefox^21]^3Cimg^20src^3D^22)psyc.horm.org/barimg/bar_xhtml.png^22^20width^3D^2280^22^20height^3D^2215^22^20alt^3D^22XHTML^20Validator^22^20style^3D^22border^3A^200px^20solid^20black^22^20/^3E])validator.w3.org/check/referer]XHTML^20Validator^26^2361470^3BPsycHo}){kind=small}
